Monday, September 14, 2009

September 10th was the 100th anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright's Meyer May House, built for retail magnate Meyer May in 1909 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is perhaps the most meticulously-preserved example of Wright's work, renovated by Steelcase in 1987.

As I get ready to take another group of students through the history of industrial design, it's a joy to find Steelcase's detailed site about this house. I especially like the video on the house and the process of restoring it, as well as the section that illuminates Wright's design principles. Any student of ID or architectural history will be rewarded for spending some time here.

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About Me

I teach at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. I'm a product designer by training, and since the early 90s I've specialized in design research. I like to watch people, talk to them and work with them to understand why they do what they do. I want to find out what it takes to make designs truly useful.